f't,  /  3  6~ 


Everlasting  Punishment 


ATTENDED  WITH 

TTverlasting  J^)ecay.. 


A  DISCOURSE. 

\ 


By  a  Congregational  Pastor, 


CHICAGO': 

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Everlasting  Pun  ISHMENT. 


“  These  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment.” — 
Mat.  xxv.  46. 

I  have  been  requested  to  express  my  views 
upon  this  subject,  and  it  is  but  proper  that  I 
should  do  so.  You  have  heard  but  little  in 
my  preaching  concerning  the  everlastingness  of 
future  torment ;  for  I  do  not  consider  it  a  sub¬ 
ject  proper  to  be  much  dwelt  upon.  It  is  too 
terrible  a  theme  for  every-day  use.  There  are 
a  few  truths,  obvious  to  all,  but  too  sacred  or 
too  awful  for  common  remark.  Of  this  char¬ 
acter  is  the  final  doom  of  the  enemies  of  Christ. 
Like  the  capital  punishment  of  murderers, 
like  the  sad  smiting  or  banishment  of  a  prodi¬ 
gal  son,  let  it  be  left  in  the  background,  as  the 
last  sorrowful  resort  of  contemned  authority, — 
a  terror  indeed  to  evil  doers,  but  the  more  so 
because  hardly  to  be  mentioned  but  with  shud- 
derings  and  with  tears. 


4 


Ei  yer  l a  sting  Pu  nishment . 


I  am  astonished  at  the  coolness  and  even 
carelessness  with  which  some  seem  to  speak 
the  words  —  hell,  damnation,  everlasting  tor¬ 
ment  ;  —  at  the  freedom  and  flippancy  with 
which  they  can  treat  of  the  destiny  of  the 
wicked,  as  if  it  were  only  a  matter  of  ordinary 
talk.  To  me  it  is  not  such.  When  I  think, 
and  especially  when  I  speak,  of  the  coming 
hour,  the  momentous  hour,  that  shall  close  the 
eyes  of  my  loved  ones  in  death,  or  take  me 
from  their  tender  care,  it  is  only  with  bated 
breath  and  throbbing  heart  I  can  dwell  upon 
the  theme.  And  when  I  talk  of  friends  and 
neighbors  out  of  Christ,  and  the  awful  future 
revealed  for  such,  how  can  I  do  it  without  a 
shudder,  or  without  pangs  of  the  tenderest 
pity,  and  desire  for  their  escape  ?  In  such  a 
spirit  may  we  approach  the  subject  to-day. 
Sad  and  terrific  as  it  is,  it  must  sometimes  be 
touched  by  all  faithful  embassadors  of  Christ, 
as  it  was  by  Christ  himself, —  ordinarily  by 
mere  reverent  allusion,  as  to  a  matter  sorrow¬ 
fully  taken  for  granted  —  the  most  effective 
way  —  but  now  and  then  in  full  yet  cautious 
treatment,  as  exemplified  by  the  Saviour  in  the 
chapter  of  the  text. 

“  These  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  pun¬ 
ishment.”  I  see  not  any  possible  way  to  avoid 


Everlasti ng  Punishmen t . 


5 


the  simple  orthodox  understanding  of  these 
words.  The  time  referred  to  is  explained  in 
v.  31  ;  “  When  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in 
his  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels  with  him,  then 
shall  he  sit  upon  the  throne  of  his  glory.”  The 
scene  described  is  the  judgment  scene,  with 
the  good  and  the  bad  separated  upon  the  right 
hand  and  the  left  hand  of  the  Judge.  It  can 
be  no  other  than  the  occasion  referred  to  by 
the  apostle,  (Heb.  ix.  27.)  “It  is  appointed 
unto  men  once  to  die,  and  after  that  the  judg¬ 
ment.”  The  “punishment”  here  spoken  of 
must  be  real  punishment,  implying  evil,  pain, 
misery.  “  Everlasting  punishment  ”  can  be 
nothing  else  but  misery  that  has  no  end. 

These  things  are  so,  not  because  I  want 
them  so,  but  because  they  cannot  mean  any¬ 
thing  else.  I  would  be  glad  to  have  them 
otherwise,  if  it  pleased  God  so  to  appoint ; 
and,  for  thirty  years  of  ministry  now  just  clos¬ 
ing,  I  have  been  anxiously  studying  to  see  if 
there  was  any  other  way  of  understanding  the 
Saviour’s  words.  I  have  searched  carefully,  and 
I  trust  candidly,  every  argument  offered  by 
objectors.  I  have  diligently  examined  the  uses 
of  the  word  punishment  and  the  word  everlast- 
ing ,  and  other  critical  points,  both  in  the  Eng¬ 
lish,  and  in  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  Scriptures. 


6  Everlasting  Punishment. 

And  I  find  it  impossible  to  understand  this 
text  in  any  other  than  its  obvious  orthodox 
sense ;  or  to  accept  Christ  as  teaching  anything 
short  of  a  real,  painful  “  punishment  ”  for  his 
foes,  as  enduring  as  the  “  life  eternal”  he  prom¬ 
ises  to  his  friends.  The  particulars  of  that 
investigation  and  result,  I  might  be  willing  to 
give  you  at  some  other  time ;  but  it  is  not  the 
matter  now  in  hand. 

And  after  all,  what  insuperable  objection  is 

there  to  our  so  understanding  and  accepting 

Christ  ?  Why  may  not  such  a  punishment  be 

fitting  for  those  who  spurn  the  offers  of  divine 
% 

mercy,  and  voluntarily  refuse  to  receive  the 
Son  of  God  from  Heaven?  Hear  Hebrews  x. 
26,31.  “  For  if  we  sin  wilfully  after  that  we 

have  received  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  there 
remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for  sins,  but  a  cer¬ 
tain  fearful  looking  for  of  judgment  and  fiery 
indignation  which  shall  devour  the  adversaries. 
He  that  despised  Moses'  law,  died  without 
mercy,  under  two  or  three  witnesses  :  of  how 
much  sorer  punishment,  suppose  ye,  shall  he 
be  thought  worthy  who  hath  trodden  under 
foot  the  Son  of  God,  and  hath  counted  the 
blood  of  the  covenant,  wherewith  he  was  sanc¬ 
tified,  an  unholy  thing,  and  hath  done  despite 
unto  the  Spirit  of  Grace?  For  we  know  him 


Everlasting  Punishment. 


7 


that  hath  said,  ‘  vengeance  belongeth  unto  me, 
I  will  recompense,  saith  the  Lord.’  It  is  a 
fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  liv¬ 
ing  God.” 

All  pious  submissive  hearts  will  bow  to  these 
solemn  mandates  of  the  great  Jehovah;  and 
will  allow  no  cavils  or  questionings  of  the 
Divine  justice  to  disturb  their  peace.  Nor  is 
it  worth  our  while  to  try  and  satisfy  the  diso¬ 
bedient  and  rebellious,  concerning  the  propri¬ 
ety  of  their  threatened  doom.  While  they  are 
impenitent,  probably  nothing  will  suit  their 
mind.  But  there  are  bearings*of  this  subject, 
which  do  sometimes  trouble  and  distress  the 
most  godly  and  reverent  souls ;  and  these  dif¬ 
ficulties  of  the  pious  saints  it  is  right  to  meet, 
and  if  possible,  dispel.  If  the  devoted  Jere¬ 
miah  could  say,  (as  in  xii,  i,)  “  Righteous  art 
thou,  O  Lord,  when  I  plead  with  thee;  yet, 

LET  ME  TALK  WITH  THEE  OF  THY  JUDGMENTS;  ” 

and  if  the  good  old  Abraham  could  plead,  (as 
in  Gen.  xviii.  25,  30.)  “  Oh,  let  not  the  Lord 
be  angry  and  I  will  speak ;  shall  not  the 

JUDGE  OF  ALL  THE  EARTH  DO  RIGHT  ?  ” - then 

surely  it  is  proper  for  us,  devoutly  to  inquire 
into  the  bearings  of  “  everlasting  punishment” 
upon  the  character  of  God  and  the  destiny  of 


man. 


8 


Everlasting  Pint  ish  merit. 


The  fact  of  everlasting  punishment,  then, 
we  must  consider  as  settled  :  the  only  question 
before  us  is,  what  will  be  its  results  ?  In  what 
final  condition  will  it  leave  the  human  race, 
and  the  kingdom  of  God  ?  The  blessed  Gos¬ 
pel  most  distinctly  informs  us  concerning 
Christ,  that  “  He  must  reign  till  He  hath  put 
all  enemies  under  his  feet,  .  .  .  when  He  shall 
have  put  down  all  rule,  and  authority  and 
power.”  (i  Cor.  xv.  24,  25.)  “  For  this  purpose 
the  Son  of  God  was  manifested,  that  He  might 
destroy  the  works  of  the  devil.”  (1  Jn.  iii.  8.) 
“  Thou  shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron, 
thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  potter’s 
vessel.”  (Ps.  ii.  2.  See  also  Acts  iii.  21 ; 
Phil.  ii.  10,  11  ;  Col.  i.  19,20;  Heb.  i.  13, 
and  ii.  8 ;  1  Jn.  iii.  8;  Rev.  v.  13.)  Accord¬ 
ing  to  this,  sin  and  rebellion  in  God’s  universe 
are  to  be  reduced  to  a  minimum  at  last,  their 
growth  and  prevalence  utterly  destroyed. 

On  the  other  hand,  we  have  the  great  Gos¬ 
pel  promise  against  Satan  :  “  IT  shall  bruise 
thy  head,  and  thou  shalt  bruise  his  heel,”  (Gen. 
iii.  15,)  and  “where  sin  abounded  grace 
SHALL  MUCH  MORE  ABOUND  ;  ”  “  For  if  through 
the  offence  of  one  [the]  many  be  dead,  much 
more  the  grace  of  God,  and  the  gift  by  grace, 
which  is  by  one  man,  Jesus  Christ,  hath 


Everlasting  Pun ish ment. 


9 


ABOUNDED  UNTO  [the]  MANY  ”  (Rom.  V.  IJ, 
20.)  From  which  it  would  appear  that  the  hosts 
of  the  redeemed  are  to  be  i?icreased  to  a  maxi¬ 
mum  as  compared  with  the  lost,  and  that,  as 
far  as  the  head  transcends  the  heel,  so  far  the 
numbers  crowned  with  Christ  are  to  tran¬ 
scend  the  numbers  crushed  under  his  feet. 
Our  hearts  rest  in  these  assurances,  convinced 
that  such  (and  only  such)  a  complete  triumph 
is  worthy  of  the  King  of  Kings  and  the  Lord 
of  Lords. 

But  how  can  this  complete  triumph  be,  if  the 
sin  and  rebellion  of  lost  souls  is  to  go  on  for¬ 
ever  increasing,  and  if  they  are  to  form  such 
an  immense  host,  as  must  be  made  up  from 
the  untold  millions,  of  all  the  heathen  nations 

and  ages  of  the  earth?  For  the  Church  of 

* 

Christ  even  to  equal  such  numbers  of  Satan’s 
army,  would  at  any  probable  rate  require  more 
than  a  millenium  of  universal  piety  ;  and  (by 
common  view)  would  put  off  indefinitely  the 
glorious  Resurrection  Day,  for  which  the 
earth  and  the  saints  have  been  groaning  so 
long.  (Rom.  viii.  23.)  And  then,  to  think  of 
such  an  immense  host,  the  great  majority  of 
whom  never  heard  of  Christ  or  salvation,  and 
many  of  whom  were  our  own  children  only 
just  arrived  to  an  age  of  accountability,  and 


IO 


Ez  'er lasting  Punishment. 


never  sinning  but  a  day  or  an  hour  before 
death  —  yet  for  that  short  unrepented  sinning 
lost,  of  course,  and  therefore  (they  tell  us) 
sinking  forever  in  confirmed  and  more  intelli¬ 
gent  rebellion,  —  this  terrible  picture,  if  re¬ 
concilable  with  the  goodness  and  justice  of 
God,  does  certainly  look  to  be  hardly  com¬ 
patible  with  that  grand  overwhelming  triumph 
of  Redemption,  which  we  are  led  to  expect. 

This  is  the  sort  of  difficulty  that  troubles 
many  really  pious  hearts,  and  needs  to  be 
fairly  met.  It  is  being  z//zfairly  met  in 
many  different  ways.  Some  good  souls  try  to 
escape  from  the  difficulty  by  embracing  the 
doctrine  of  “  universal  salvation  ”  or  final 
“  restoration,”  in  the  very  face  of  this  Script¬ 
ure  before  us,  which  utterly  forbids  such  a 
doctrine.  More  still,  at  the  present  day,  are 
seeking  a  relief  for  their  pious  doubts  in  the 
supposed  “  annihilation  or  extinction  of  the 
wicked,”  a  much  more  plausible  theory,  but 
quite  irreconcilable  with  reason  or  the  Word 
of  God.  A  number  of  others  in  our  churches 
are  latterly  quieting  their  troubles,  by  running 
into  the  notion,  of  another  probation  after  death 
for  those  who  have  not  a  fair  chance  here. 
Dr.  Edward  Beecher,  and  a  few  others,  have 
rested  their  souls  under  this  “  Conflict  of 


Everlasting  Punishment.  1 1 

Ages,”  in  the  idea  of  a  pre-existent  state.  And 
still  other  theories  are  set  on  foot,  to  vindicate 
the  ways  of  God,  and  make  plain  that  great 
triumph  for  His  Kingdom,  which  we  all  feel 

MUST  BE. 

Thus  evident  it  is,  that  there  is  a  conflict  of 
ages  going  on,  a  want  almost  universally  felt 
for  a  clearer  explanation  of  the  divine  plan,  a 
new  and  consistent  theodicy ,  which  shall  not 
only  show  that  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth  will 
do  right,  but  that  He  is  going  to  triumph 
speedily,  and  gloriously,  and  overwhelmingly 
over  His  foes.  The  signs  of  the  times, 
betoken  a  great  falling  away  from  the  old 
views  of  probation  and  retribution.  Already 
is  there  manifest  in  our  theological  seminaries 
and  among  our  younger  preachers  an  omenous 
backsliding  towards  a  probationary  or  even  a 
purgative  future  state.  And  among  our  older 
and  wiser  preachers,  as  well  as  members,  there 
is  a  growing  but  often  covert  leaning  toward 
the  doctrine  of  annihilation,  which  may  yet 
break  out  into  a  general  change  of  front, 
unless  the  true  antidote  is  timely  applied. 

This  latter  theory  is  the  great  danger  of  our 
times.  Universalism  is  past  its  day,  and  can 
win  few  serious -minded  persons  from  the 
truth.  It  is  too  obviously  in  violation  of  all 


1 2  Everlasting  Punishment. 

the  New  Testament  teachings,  too  plainly  un¬ 
reasonable,  too  grossly  encouraging  to  sin,  to 
serve  much  longer  as  a  bait  for  any  but  the 
most  reckless  minds.  But  Annihilationism  is 
more  specious,  more  seemingly  scriptural, 
more  satisfactorily  meeting  the  difficulties  that 
trouble  pious  minds ;  and  therefore,  there  is 
more  danger  of  its  getting  hold  of  good  Chris¬ 
tian  people,  to  the  sad  detriment  of  the 
Redeemer’s  Kingdom.  The  true  antidote,  I 
said,  must  speedily  be  applied.  It  is  an  anti¬ 
dote  suggested  by  the  unfailing  Word  of  God. 
Shall  I  be  deemed  presumptuous  for  endeav¬ 
oring  to  set  it  forth  ?  In  doing  so,  I  shall 
treat  (i)  of  the  direct  result,  and  (2)  of  the 
final  result  of  everlasting  punishment. 

PART  FIRST. 

I.  As  to  the  direct  result  of  everlasting 
punishment,  there  are  three  views  that  can  be 
taken  : 

1.  That  it  produces  everlasting  growth. 

2.  That  it  is  attended  with  everlasting  decay. 

3.  That  being  extinction  it  produces  nonenity. 

The  third  of  these  views,  the  annihilation 

or  destruction  view,  we  of  course  reject.  The 
first  of  these  views  is  the  opposite  extreme, 


Everlasting  Punishment.  1 3 

which  many  advocate  as  if  the  only  genuine 
orthodox  teaching.  But  the  second  of  these 
views,  the  mean  between  these  two  extremes^ 
is  what  for  twenty-five  years  I  have  held  as 
the  true  orthodox  or  bible  doctrine  ;  namely, 
everlasting  punishment  results  in  everlasting 
decay ,  and  not  in  everlasting  growth. 

It  is  the  erroneous  teaching  of  eternal 
growth  in  sin,  that  has  created  a  large  part  of 
the  prejudice  against  Christ’s  doctrine  of  ever¬ 
lasting  punishment,  and  given  pious  hearts  the 
greatest  difficulty  about  it.  For,  it  makes  the 
wicked  to  go  on  increasing  in  intelligent  sin 
and  rebellion,  and  consequent  torment  to  all 
eternity.  So  that,  instead  of  God’s  evidently 
getting  the  upper  hand  of  his  enemies  and 
making  His  Redemption  overwhelmingly  tri¬ 
umphant,  there  is  produced  at  -least  an  aspect 
of  vigorous  and  swelling  rebellion  forever  on 
His  hands,-  to  the  apparent  marring  of  His 
jubilant  conquest. 

Thus  President  Edwards,  in  his  “  Sermon 
on  the  Eternity  of  Hell  Torments,”  (Works, 
vol.  VI.,  p.  123,)  says:  “Besides,  their  capac¬ 
ity  will  probably  be  enlarged,  their  under¬ 
standings  will  be  greater  and  stronger  in  a 
future  state ;  and  God  can  give  them  as  great 
a  sense  and  as  strong  an  impression  of  eternity 


14  Ever  lasting  Punishment . 

as  he  pleases,  to  increase  their  grief  and  tor¬ 
ment.”  So  Dr.  Emmons  (Vol.  III.,  p.  818). 
While  some  now  follow  this  aspect  of  the 
subject,  others  prefer  to  express  it  like  Dr. 
Bellamy,  who  (in  vol.  I,  p.  60)  says  :  “  The 
guilt  of  all  the  damned  will  be  increasing  to 
all  eternity  ;  and  no  doubt  their  punishment 
will  increase  in  the  same  proportion.  How 
inconceivably  and  infinitely  dreadful,  there¬ 
fore,  will  be  their  case  who  are  thus  continu¬ 
ally  sinking  deeper  and  deeper  in  that  bottom¬ 
less  pit  of  woe  and  misery.”  Take  as  a  further 
example  Professor  Finney,  who  says,  “the 
torment  will  eternally  increase.”  Of  course, 
increasing  guilt  will  be  likely  to  involve 
increase  of  sinning  faculty,  or  conscious- 
being;  and  either  growth  or  decay,  not  cease¬ 
less  sameness  of  capacity  would  seem  to  be 
the  law  of  the  soul’s  existence. 

Now  it  is  certain  that  everlasting  life  in 
glory  is  attended  with  everlasting  growth  ;  for, 
there  as  here,  “  the  path  of  the  just  is  as  the 
shining  light,  which  shineth  more  and  more 
unto  the  perfect  day,”  (Prov.  iv.  iS,)  and 
better  and  better  shall  we  “  see  as  we  are 
seen,  and  know  as  we  are  known.”  (i  Cor. 
xiii.  12.)  But  while  the  way  of  light  is  ever 
upward  to  enlargement,  the  way  of  darkness 


Everlasting  Punishment.  1 5 

must  be  ever  downward  to  belittlement. 
While  the  heirs  of  life  forever  grow ,  it  is 
reasonable  that  the  heirs  of  death  should  for¬ 
ever  decay.  Not  because  sin,  or  spiritual  death, 
or  ruin,  is  itself  decay,  or  in  itself  necessitates 
decay,  any  more  than  does  holiness,  or 
spiritual  life,  or  glory;  but  because  the  pun¬ 
ishment  superadded  to  death,  may  fitly  be 
with  such  accompaniment  as  to  prevent  pro¬ 
gress  and  induce  decay.  What  is  it,  then,  that 
has  such  an  effect  on  a  rational  being  ? 
Answer :  The  very  opposite  to  what  causes 
growth  must  produce  decay. 

It  is  a  law  of  nature  that  animate  living 
powers  maintain  their  vitality  and  vigor  by 
means  of  alternating  activity  and  repose. 
The  effect  of  continual  over-exertion  is  to  ex¬ 
haust  activity,  and  bring  on  over-repose, 
while  the  effect  of  continual  over-repose  is  to 
deaden  and  diminish  the  powers  themselves. 
A  medium  amount  of  activity  would  keep  the 
faculty  in  a  uniform  state,  while  a  full  and 
adequate  activity  will  continually  enlarge  the 
capacity  to  do.  It  is  so  physically ;  the 
blacksmith’s  arm,  by  constant  wielding  of  the 
sledge,  grows  larger  and  stronger  than  another 
man’s;  and  he  who  daily  carries  the  calf  will 
gain  in  power  as  the  calf  does  in  weight,  till 


1 6  Everlasting  Punishment. 

he  is  seen  bearing  off  the  ox,  as  Samson  did  the 
gates  of  Gaza.  It  is  so  mentally  ;  indulgence 
in  strong  drink  will  so  increase  the  appetite,, 
as  to  render  denial  next  to  impossible ;  and 
memory  reason,  imagination,  or  any  faculty 
may,  by  persevering  employment,  be  devel¬ 
oped  and  enlarged  a  hundredfold. 

Thus  may  the  whole  soul  be  increased  by 
means  of  its  own  activity.  And  thus  does 
a  person  become  more  of  a  being  than  before. 
By  bodily  exercise  he  may  attain  to  more 
body,  more  life  and  being  in  the  flesh.  And 
so,  by  soul  exercise,  or  mental,  and  especially 
moral  exertion,  a  man  may  attain  to  more  of  a 
soul,  more  life  and  being,  as  a  rational  person. 
In  this  way  one  becomes  literally  “  more  of  a 
man ;  ”  the  very  essence  of  his  being  is  in¬ 
creased.  His  faculties  are  larger ;  his  thoughts,, 
emotions,  volitions,  are  wider  and  stronger; 
and  hence  his  responsibility  and  his  character 
are  more  striking,  either  for  good  or  evil,  and 
his  consequent  happiness  or  misery  is  corre¬ 
spondingly  more  intense.  (See  Heb.  v.  14  ; 
2  Pet.  ii.  14.)  If  thus  our  persevering  activity 
seizes  hold  on  the  power  of  practice,  wielding 
it  aright  —  with  practice  still  permitted  to  us 
in  glory  —  we  may  yet  outvie  the  highest 


Everlasting  Punishment .  1 7 

archangels,  in  the  extent  of  our  capacities,, 
and  the  vastness  of  our  happy  being. 

Such  is  the  natural  law  of  increase  in  being. 
The  corresponding  law  of  decrease  is  equally 
conspicuous.  As  suitable  exercise  increases- 
vitality  of  body,  so  want  of  exercise  diminishes 
bodily  power.  Delay  too  long  to  train  your 
fingers  to  the  piano,  and  you  shall  find  your 
capacity  to  master  the  instrument  much  weak¬ 
ened,  or  quite  destroyed.  And  so  of  every 
inward  faculty.  If  a  craving  for  tobacco  be: 
persistently  refused,  it  will  diminish,  and 
finally  die  out.  If  memory,  or  imagination,  or 
the  reasoning  power  be  kept  too  much  out  of 
use,  the  individual  becomes  less  and  less  capa¬ 
ble  of  employing  that  power.  The  moral 
sense  may  be  thus  blunted,  and  the  will  itself 
may  thus  be  reduced  to  an  utter  imbecility  of 
action.  Indeed,  the  higher  the  faculty,  and 
the  more  removed  from  matter  into  the 
domain  of  spirit,  the  greater  appears  its  sus¬ 
ceptibility  to  enlargement  by  exercise,  and  to 
diminution  by  disuse. 

If  this  be  so  of  each  single  faculty,  it  must 
be  so  of  the  whole  bundle  of  faculties,  that 
is,  of  the  very  being,  the  man  himself.  He, 
as  a  personal,  rational  creature,  is  capable  of 
diminution  as  well  as  enlargement.  As  he 


1 8  Everlasting  Punishment . 

% 

may  become  “  more  of  a  man  ”  by  suitable  ex¬ 
ertion  of  his  powers,  so  he  may  become  “  less 
of  a  man,”  a  lower  order,  or  less  developed 
sort  of  a  man,  by  disuse  of  his  faculties. 
There  are  all  grades  of  humanity,  with  all 
gradations  of  intellect,  and  so  all  sizes  of  per¬ 
sonal  moral  being  among  men,  from  the 
idiot  up  to  the  giant  soul.  As  by  drilling  the 
mind  developes  and  grows  from  birth  to  ma¬ 
turity,  so  by  coming  into  long  inaction,  it  may 
not  only  stop  growing,  but  may  at  length  by 
degrees  lose  its  vital  activity,  and  may  lapse 
backward  toward  its  unconscious  state.  We 
seem  to  see  instances  of  this,  where  a  sluggish 
soul  appears  not  only  to  have  stopped  grow¬ 
ing,  but  even  to  be  tending  back  toward  a 
mere  animal  existence. 

The  temporary  healthful  repose  of  sleep 
does  not  thus  shrink  the  soul,  which  may  still 
be  at  work.  And  the  eclipse  of  faculty  pro¬ 
duced  by  bodily  decay  is  only,  in  like  manner, 
a  partial,  temporary  sleep,  not  affecting  the 
soul’s  permanent  powers.  This  is  sometimes 
made  evident  by  gleams  of  full  mental  sun¬ 
light,  after  the  severest  insanity,  or  after  the 
greatest  infirmities  of  old  age.  And  so  with 
separate  spirits  in  the  sleep  of  death,  “  re¬ 
served  ”  unto  the  judgment  day.  (2  Peter  ii. 


Everlasting  Punishment.  1 9 

9;  Job  xxi.  30.)  Activity  merely  dormant 
more  or  less,  does  not  necessarily  diminish 
the  soul-power  already  attained.  But  con¬ 
scious  inactivity  —  i.e.,  the  full  sense  of  mental 
exercises  on  hand,  without  the  active  evolu¬ 
tion  of  new  ideas  from  without  the  mind,  does 
wear  upon  the  soul,  and  reduce  its  power  of 
active  being.  For  this  expenditure  of  con¬ 
sciousness,  without  conscious  gain,  seems  self- 
exhaustive,  not  recuperative,  like  the  restful 
repose  of  sleep. 

Now,  a  prison-life  of  close  confinement 
•does  thus  tend  to  a  conscious  inactivity  of 
the  faculties,  which  will  cause  them  to  dwindle 
away.  Shut  up  a  man  in  a  dungeon  for  long 
years,  and  he  becomes  gradually  imbecile,  and 
finally  idiotic.  Hence  such  close  confine¬ 
ment,  away  from  all  means  of  progress,  suf¬ 
ficient  even  to  maintain  one’s  self-hood,  is 
considered  the  most  terrible  of  human  pun¬ 
ishments.  Instances  are  known  of  culprits 
thus  reduced  from  manhood  to  a  brutish 
insensibility.  It  is  the  cutting  off  of  com¬ 
munication  with  other  beings,  the  isolation 
of  a  soul  thus  left  to  itself,  without  opportuni¬ 
ties  of  new  activity, —  the  close  imprisonment 
of  being  within  narrow  limits  of  inaction, — 


20  Everlasting  Punishment. 

it  is  this  that  induces  torpor  and  decay  of  the 
being  itself. 

And  under  what  circumstances  comes  the 
“  everlasting  punishment,”  so  sadly  imposed 
in  the  judgment  day?  Is  it  not  accom¬ 
panied  with  imprisonment  in  the  dark  world 
of  crushed  ambitions  and  fettered  capabili¬ 
ties  ?  Is  not  the  final  dismal  hell  of  the 
Bible  always  represented  and  understood  as 
a  prison  ?  (see  Mat.  v.  25;  Luke  xii.  58  ;  1 
Peter  iii.  19  ;  Rev.  xx.  7,) —  a  place  of  confine¬ 
ment  in  chains  and  bondage  l  (Mat.  xviii.  34  ; 
1  Cor.  v.  5  ;  1  Tim.  i.  20  ;  2  Peter  ii.  4,)  — 
an  outer  darkness  and  gloom,  the  very  blackness 
of  darkness  for  ever?  (Mat.  viii.  12,  and  xxii. 
13,  and  xxv.  30;  2  Peter  ii.  4,  17  ;  Jude  vi. 
13).  If  the  lost  are  now  “  spirits  in  prison  (1 
Peter  iii.  19,)  how  much  more  will  they  be 
after  judgment!  And  what  warrant  is  there 
for  the  idea  of  many,  that  the  lost  are  asso¬ 
ciated  together  in  conscious  company  and 
confederacy,  plotting  and  planning,  it  may 
be,  in  new  schemes  of  sin  and  rebellion,  in¬ 
dulging  the  grim  satisfaction  of  demoniacal 
society,  and  thus  reveling  in  the  exercise  of 
enlarging  powers  ?  Is  there  a  word  in  all 
God's  book  to  paint  such  a  scene  of  diaboli- 


Everlasting  Punishment.  2 1 

O 

cal  association,  under  the  final,  all-conquering 
reign  of  righteousness  ? 

No  !  “  misery  loves  company,’’  but  it  is  not 
to  be  gratified,  so  far  as  we  know.  And  the 
depth  of  the  final  ruin  will  consist  in  this, 
more  than  in  anything  else,  that  the  solitary 
sinner  shall  perish  seemingly  alone.  The 
finishing  doom  upon  a  guilty  soul  is  that  pro¬ 
nounced  by  God  (Hosea  iv.  17,)  “  Ephraim 
is  joined  to  his  idols,  let  him  alone.” 
Schmucker’s  Theology  of  Storr  and  Flatt, 
(Andover,  1836,  p.  360,)  tells  us,  that  “  the 
misery  of  the  wicked  ”  will  be  lessened  by 
their  being  kept  in  a  measure  from  the  “pas¬ 
sions  of  each  other,”  and  being  “in  some 
degree  restrained  by  the  melancholy  situation 
in  which  they  are  placed.”  When  the  wicked, 
as  in  the  text,  “  shall  go  away  into  everlast¬ 
ing  punishment,”  after  having  been  ordered 
—  “  depart,  ye  cursed  ”  —  that  banishment  to 
lonely  decay  in  misery,  will  be  more  sad  and 
fatal  than  any  society  of  confederated  sin 
could  be.  Similar  to  this  are  all  the  Bible 
representations  of  final  doom  ;  and  thus  does 
it  leave  the  lost  to  pine  away  sorrowfully  in 
an  EVERLASTING  DECAY. 

Does  any  one  here  say,  that  all  decay  must 
some  time  come  to  an  end  ?  and  that  this  view 


22 


Ei  'ey  I a  sting  Pu  nish  men  t. 


forbids  the  everlastingness  of  punishment  ? 
and  must  cause  even  the  devil  and  hell  itself 
finally  to  cease  ?  I  answer,  it  might  be  so,  if 
God  pleased  to  appoint  it  so.  But  he  says 
differently.  The  Judge  himself  most  posi¬ 
tively  declares  that  the  punishment  is  “  ever¬ 
lasting,”  as  everlasting  as  the  joys  of  the 
saints.  He  says  that  this  fiery  punishment 
was  “  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels,” 
(v.  41)  and  that  the  devil  shall  be  actually  cast 
into  it,  with  others,  “  and  shall  be  tormented 
day  and  night  forever  and  ever;”  (Rev.  xx. 
10,)  “Where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the 
fire  is  not  quenched.”  (Mark  ix.  44,  46,  48.) 
Moreover,  the  blessed  Jesus  himself  most 
positively  and  solemnly  assures  us,  (Mark  iii. 
29;  Matth.  xii.  31,  32;  Luke  xii.  10,)  that 
there  are  some  rejectors  of  the  Gospel,  who 
have  “  never  forgiveness  ”  or  remission, 
“  neither  in  this  world  nor  in  the  world  to 
come,”  but  are  “  in  danger  of  eternal  dam¬ 
nation,”  or  eternal  sin,  as  all  the  best  critics 
now  read  it,  (Griesbach,  Lachman,  Tischen- 
dorf,  Tragelles,  Sinaitic,  Vatican,  etc.)  In 
danger  of  eternal  unremitted  sinning  or  sin¬ 
fulness,  and  all  the  sad  consequences  of  such 
a  state  and  character,  so  that,  (as  said  in 
Matt.  xxvi.  24,  and  Mark  xiv.  21,)  “it  had 


Everlasting  Punishment.  23 

been  good  for  that  man  if  he  had  not  been 
born.”  How  terrible,  how  inexpressibly  awful 
such  a  doom  !  which  some  of  the  human  race 
are  most  certainly  to  experience. 

Does  any  one  press  the  point  that  decay 
must  sometime  end,  that  an  ever-diminishing 
series  must  sometime  come  to  nothing?  By  no 
means,  I  reply.  If  you  keep  dividing  a  quantity 
by  2  (or  by  any  other  number,)  you  can  never 
reduce  it  to  nothing.  It  will  first  become  y2 
as  much  as  it  was,  and  then  y  as  much  as  it 
was,  and  then  as  much  as  it  was  ;  and  so 
on,  ever  diminishing  but  never  entirely  ceas¬ 
ing,  forever  and  forever.  Have  you  never 
heard  of  Dr.  Bushnell’s  explanation  of  this 
matter  ?  That  after  sinners  have  entered  upon 
their  doom,  “  their  being  may  grow  less  and 
less  without  ever  reaching  complete  extinction, 
as  the  asymptote  of  a  circle  is  a  line  so  pro¬ 
jected  as  to  be  always  approaching  the  circle 
without  ever  touching  it.” 

And  now  behold  such  a  process  of  ever¬ 
lasting  decay,  forever  reducing  the  amount  of 
intelligent  sinning  and  sorrow  in  the  universe 
of  God,  and  see  how  it  harmonizes  with  the 
glorious  revelations  of  Redemptive  triumph 
foretold.  Some  shadow  of  sin’s  dire  conse¬ 
quences  will  be  necessary  forever,  as  a  beacon- 


24  Everlasting  Punishment. 

warning  against  transgression  for  all  the 
eternal  ages.  But  as  less  and  less  the  ad¬ 
monition  may  be  needed,  so  less  and  less  will 
the  dread  catastrophe  of  rebellion  appear, 
until  at  last  (in  brutish  torpor)  the  conscious 
suffering  will  be  reduced  to  a  minimum,  and 
only  the  smoke  of  the  torment  will  ascend  up 
forever.  (Rev.  xiv.  n.)  That  the  Scripture 
teaching  does  clearly  indicate  such  an  ever¬ 
lasting  decay,  appears  from  many  of  its  forms 
of  expression  describing  the  lost.  “  Consume, ” 
“  devour,”  “  bring  to  naught,”  “  destroy,”  and 
the  like,  do  not  signify  extinction,  but  they  do 
suggest  the  idea  of  decay  rather  than  of  growth. 
See  particularly  Acts  xiii.  41  ;  “  Behold  ye 

despisers,  and  wonder,  and  perish ,”  literally 
vanish  away ,  (as  in  Ja.  iv.  14,  “  fade  away.” 
See  also  Ja.  i.  11 ;  Heb.  x.  27  ;  Matt.  vii.  13  ; 
Job  viii.  22  ;  Ps.  xxxi.  20,  and  civ.  35  ;  Isa.  i. 
28,  and  xli.  1 1,  12.) 

I  feel  confident  that  this  first  head  of  dis¬ 
course  contains  the  truth  of  God ;  and  that 
the  Bible  teaches,  not  an  intensifying  and  ex¬ 
pansive  torment,  but  an  everlasting  decay.  And 
I  am  the  more  convinced  of  this  because  the 
view  here  reached  is  so  strictly  orthodox, 
and  in  accordance  with  the  faith  of  Christ’s 
true  Church  all  down  the  ages.  He  pro- 


Ei 'e r lasting  Pit  nisli  merit. 


35 


mised  to  be  with  His  people  always,  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world,  and  by  His  in¬ 
structing  Spirit  to  lead  them  into  all  truth. 
And  we  cannot  believe  that,  in  all  these 
centuries  past,  they  have  been  allowed  to 
wander  into  any  great  fundamental  error. 
Unless  Christianity  has  been  a  failure,  the 
prevalent  creeds  of  Christendom  must  be  es¬ 
sentially  correct.  Whatever  of  new  light 
comes,  must  modify  only  slight  details  of  the 
statement. 

And  it  is  so  in  this  case.  The  view  now 
offered  is  entirely  accordant  with  the  creed  of 
•every  evangelical  denomination.  It  teaches 
the  doctrine  almost  universally  acknowledged, 
of  everlasting  punishment  —  a  terrible  hell  of 
unending  misery  for  the  determined  enemies 
of  God.  But  it  simply  relieves  this  great 
solemn  truth  from  a  trifling  gloss, —  an  inci¬ 
dental  comment,  or  needless  appendage  out¬ 
side  of  the  ratified  Church  faith,  a  groundless 
inference,  which  has  been  carelessly  allowed 
to  bring  odium  upon  our  faith,  and  strain 
upon  our  hearts.  The  doctrine  of  everlast¬ 
ing  punishment  is  at  once  reconciled  with 
our  innate  ideas  of  God’s  justice  and  good¬ 
ness,  of  His  full,  final  triumph  over  sin,  and 
of  His  fair,  proportionate  award  to  the  gross- 


26 


Ei 't  rla  sting  Punish ment. 


est  and  the  slightest  offenders,  when  once 
we  interpret  it,  not  in  the  light  of  growth ,  but 
in  the  light  of  decay.  For — 

PART  SECOND. 

II.  What  will  be  the  final  result]  It  is  plain 
as  anything  can  be  from  Scripture,  that  some , 
at  least  of  the  most  guilty  men  of  our  race, 
are  to  suffer  for  ever  with  the  devil  and  his 
angels,  in  a  hell  of  fiery  indignation.  But 
how  large  a  class  ?  you  will  ask.  I  answer 
frankly  —  I  do  not  know.  Nor  do  I  believe 
that  anybody  knows,  or  can  know,  except  the 
infinite  Father  of  all.  But  there  is  a  form  of 
this  question  upon  which  we  may  reverently 
seek  for  light.  How  large,  proportionally  to 
the  redeemed  of  the  human  race,  will  proba¬ 
bly  be  the  number  of  those  everlastingly 
miserable  ?  Answer  :  We  have  reason  to 
believe  that  it  will  be  comparatively  very 
small.  That  is,  reason  as  well  as  Scripture 
leads  us  to  think,  that  the  glorified  saints  of 
the  earth  will,  in  the  end ,  vastly  exceed  the 
number  of  reprobates  left  pining  in  woe, — 
yea,  may  be  to  them  as  the  ocean  to  a  little 
pool.  But  how  can  that  be  ? 

We  have  seen  that  the  doom  prepared  for 


Everlasting  Punishment. 


27 


the  devil  and  his  angels  is  “  everlasting  pun¬ 
ishment,”  and  that  this  unending  misery  in 
“  eternal  sin  ”  will  also  be  endured  by  some 
human  beings  whom  the  Saviour  describes. 
Moreover,  we  have  seen  that  into  this  ever¬ 
lasting  punishment  all  upon  the  left  hand  of 
the  Judge  will  depart.  From  it  no  one  of 
them  can  ever  come  out.  But  because  they 
are  all  in  that  punishment,  never  to  come 
out,  and  because  whatever  there  is  of  them 
is  under  the  operation  of  that  punishment 
everlastingly,  it  does  not  follow  that  they  all 
remain  conscious  forever  of  what  is  going  on. 
Elemental  existence  must  in  all  cases  continue 
for  ever,  while  conscious  existence  (in  the  lapse 
of  decay)  may  in  many  cases  have  run  out. 

How  long  the  conscious  being  or  person¬ 
ality  of  any  particular  individual  will  hold 
out  in  that  pit  of  everlasting  woe,  no  one 
but  God  can  tell.  It  is  not  for  human  reason, 
but  only  for  God’s  word  to  assure  us,  whether 
any  human  beings,  and  if  so  then  who 
of  human  beings,  will  remain  as  persons  in 
conscious  agony  for  evermore.  Of  those 
described  by  Christ,  the  blasphemers  against 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  like,  He  has  seen 
fit  to  inform  us,  that  their  personal  sin  and 
sorrow  shall  never  cease  to  be  felt.  The  in- 


28  Everlasting  Punishment . 

ference  concerning  others  is,  that  they  may, 
some  time  in  the  process  of  everlasting  decay? 
become  insensible  to  “  the  smoke  of  their 
torment,”  that  “  ascendeth  up  for  ever  and 
ever.”  As  to  the  particulars^ we  do  not,  we 
must  not,  pretend  to  know.  God  has  wisely 
hidden  from  us  the  secrets  of  that  world  of 
everlasting  woe  and  decay. 

But  of  one  thing  we  are  certain,  and  one 
point  we  must  guard  with  most  sedulous  care. 
There  is  nothing  in  the  nature  of  punishment , 
or  death  of  any  kind,  to  cause  extinction  of 
being.  And  the  “  everlasting  punishment”  in 
•death  to  which  the  guilty  are  sentenced,  can 
have  no  tendency  to  end  or  shorten  one  moment 
the  conscious  existence  of  any  individual.  To 
suppose  this,  would  be  to  make  the  punish¬ 
ment  a  blessing  in  mercy,  instead  of  a  curse 
in  wrath ;  and  would  throw  us  into  all  the 
other  absurdities  and  dangers  of  the  annihila¬ 
tion  doctrine.  No  !  if  any  mitigation  can  ever 
come  to  the  miseries  of  any  of  the  lost,  it  must 
come  not  from  their  punishment,  nor  from  any 
effect  produced  by  it,  but  from  some  other 
quarter  entirely.  Something  of  the  sort  may 
issue  from  God’s  pity,  but  it  cannot  issue  from 
his  wrath.  And  “  everlasting  punishment"  is 
simply  u  the  wrath  of  God  and  the  Lamb.” 


Everlasting  Punishment.  29 

That  punitive  wrath  can  do  nothing  but  pun¬ 
ish. 

And  yet,  God’s  love  and  pity  is  a  real  thing, 
as  truly  in  His  punishing  as  in  all  His  other 
works, —  as  certainly  in  world-ages  past  and 
world-ages  to  come,  as  now  in  His  saving  grace 
through  Christ.  God  never  made  a  constitu¬ 
tion  of  things,  that  should  at  any  future  period 

* 

shut  out  the  chances  for  pity  from  His  heart; 
and  in  that  constitution  of  things  may  possibly 
be  found  some  element,  wherein  the  pity  of 
God  shall  appear,  even  in  the  endless  doom  of 
the  lost.  It  is  there,  in  the  creation  of  the 
human  soul,  its  very  structure  and  nature, —  it 
is  there,  and  not  in  punishment  inflicted,  that 
we  are  to  look  for  any  mitigation  (if  there  be 
any)  to  eternal  doom. 

Now,  in  regard  to  this  matter  of  the  human 
constitution,  a  grave  mistake  has  been  made. 
In  order  to  make  more  certain  to  us  our  assur¬ 
ance  of  a  future  destiny,  most  theologians  have 
unnecessarily  and  unfortunately  hit  upon  and 
pressed,  the  idea  of  the  soul's  inherent  immor¬ 
tality .  I  say  unnecessarily ,  for  we  have  just  as 
full  assurance  of  our  future  destiny,  without 
that  doctrine  of  natural  immortality,  as  we  can 
have  with  it.  Christ  has  come,  and  “  brought 
life  and  immortality  to  light  in  His  Gospel.  " 


30  Everlasting  Punishment. 

We  are  certain,  if  we  believe  in  Christ,  to 
attain  to  “  glory,  honor  and  immortality  ”  in 
eternal  life;”  and  no  argument  from  reason 
concerning  the  native  immortality  of  every 
human  soul ,  can  add  to  this  blessed  hope  which 
is  peculiar  to  the  Saints. 

All  that  the  best  reasoning  can  do  is  to  show, 
that  the  human  soul  is  capable  of  outlasting 
death ,  and  may  continue  forever.  It  can  never 
prove  that  all  human  souls  must  everlastingly 
endure.  It  can  show  that  the  soul  is  probably 
////-mortal,  but  cannot  show  that  it  is  in  every 
case,  ////-mortal.  For  that,  if  we  are  to  believe 
it,  we  must  after  all  go  to  the  Word  of  God 
alone.  And  there  we  find  that  God  only  hath 
immortality  ”  in  himself,  (i  Tim.  vi.  16  ;)  and 
that  man’s  immortality  depends  on  no  inher¬ 
ent  principle  of  his  natural  constitution,  ren¬ 
dering  it  impossible  for  him  ever  to  cease  his 
conscious  existence, —  but  depends,  like  all 
other  things,  on  the  momentary  will  and  good 
pleasure  of  a  sovereign  God.  All  these  nat¬ 
ural  laws  are  but  continual  expressions  of  the 
Divine  will ;  and  we  have  no  evidence  of  any 
such  invariable  law  of  nature,  as  that  a  con¬ 
scious  soul  can  never  under  any  circumstances, 
lose  its  conscious  personality.  Doubtless,  no 
elementary  particles,  or  substances  are  ever 


Everlasting  Punishment.  3 1 

annihilated ;  but  all*  structural  creatures  may 
cease  to  be  as  creatures,  if  God  so  pleases. 
Says  Jeremy  Taylor: 

Whatsoever  had  a  beginning  can  also  have  an  ending  ; 
and  it  shall  die,  unless  it  be  daily  watered  and  refreshed  ; 
and  therefore  God  had  prepared  a  tree  in  Paradise,  to 
have  supported  Adam  in  his  artificial  immortality.  Im¬ 
mortality  was  not  in  his  nature,  but  in  the  hands  and 
parts,  in  the  favor  and  super-additions  of  God. 

And  the  Presbyterian  Catechism  (Glasgow, 
1765,  P  27.)  says: 

Q.  Are  the  souls  of  men  absolutely  and  independently 
immortal?  Ans.  —  No.  God  only  is  so.  1  Tim.  vi.  16. 
This  eternity  of  theirs  is  not  necessary  and  essential  to 
their  nature,  but  flows  from  the  will  and  power  of  God  ; 
who,  if  he  pleased,  could  bring  them  to  an  end,  as  well 
as  He  gave  them  a  beginning. 

Is  eternity  of  punishment  essential  to  the  threatening 
or  penal  sanction  of  the  law?  Answer —  No  ;  else  there 
had  never  been  a  satisfaction  for  sin.  Whence,  then, 
arises  the  eternity  of  punishment?  Answer  —  From  the 
nature  of  the  creature,  p.  98. 

Thus  unnecessary,  and  even  unreasonable, 
is  it  to  press  that  doctrine  of  natural  immor¬ 
tality.  We  said  further,  that  it  has  been  unfor¬ 
tunately  brought  in  and  pressed.  For,  it  is  the 
very  element  of  evil,  serving  to  make  odious 
the  Bible  doctrine  of  everlasting  punishment, 
and  to  drive  multitudes  into  the  denial  of  it, 


32  Everlasting  Punishment. 

to  the  imminent  peril  of  their  souls.  This 
doctrine  of  natural  immortality  was  chiefly  set 
forward  in  a  sterner  age,  partly  for  the  very 
purpose  of  exasperating  the  horrors  of  the  sin¬ 
ner’s  doom,  and  making  it  seem  impossible  in 
the  very  nature  of  things,  for  the  least  of  all 
transgressors  to  suffer  any  less  than  the  vilest 
reprobate’s  eternity  of  woe.  The  hope  was, 
(and  it  was  an  honest,  pious  hope  in  that 
sterner  day,)  by  such  a  view  to  alarm  these 
less  hardened  unbelievers  into  the  kingdom  of 
God. 

But  the  spirit  of  the  times  has  changed ; 
and  experience  has  shown,  that  men  are  not 
thus  to  be  frightened  by  an  exaggerated  view  ; 
but  that,  on  the  contrary,  they  are  thereby 
repelled  into  greater  unbelief,  into  false  and 
dangerous  theories,  and  even  into  infidelity 
and  atheism.  Crime  is  not  so  much  prevented 
by  the  horribleness  of  a  punishment,  as  by  its 
having  in  it  a  reasonableness,  and  therefore  a 
certainty  of  enforcement  which  cannot  be  gain- 
sayed.  The  theory  of  inherent  immortality 
for  all,  is  urged  most  strenuously  by  Univer- 
salists,  it  being  the  very  bulwark  of  their  sys¬ 
tem  ;  for  by  its  means  they  make  everlasting 
punishment  seem  too  savage  for  easy  belief. 
It  is  time  for  us  to  come  back  from  this  ration- 


Ei  'er las  ting  Punish  went. 


33 


alizing  about  natural  immortality,  to  the 
teachings  of  Him  who  alone  “  brought  life  and 
immortality  to  light.” 

Now  then,  studying  our  own  nature  with 
this  simple  view,  what  have  we  found  ?  We 
have  found  (as  in  a  previous  discourse,)  that 
while  the  soul  of  every  man  is  un-mortal,  but 
not  necessarily  and  in  every  case  im-mortal  or 
incapable  of  cessation, — its  continuance  in  each 
instance  depending  only  upon  the  will  of  God, 
—  yet  there  is  in  the  divine  appointment,  one, 
and  only  one,  simple  and  definite  ground  of 
continuance  to  the  soul.  It  is  not  thought  which 
makes  us  endure,  for  this  would  make  the 
brutes  un -mortal  too ;  it  is  not  reason ,  nor 
greatness  of  faculty,  as  frequently  but  inade¬ 
quately  assigned ;  it  is  not  moral  quality  or 
character,  the  false  ground  assumed  by  annihi- 
lationism  ;  but  it  is  moral  activity,  which 
forms  the  true  orthodox  ground  of  the  souls 
endurance.  That  is,  man  outlasts  the  brute 
creation  simply  because  he  is  a  free  moral 
agent,  and  is  accountable  for  his  acts,  having 
a  moral  character  growing  out  of  moral  action. 
Consequently,  the  more  intense  his  moral  activ¬ 
ity,  whether  good  o'*  had ,  the  more  is  his  being 
energized  into  persistent  continuance  of  exist¬ 
ence,  against  all  opposing  hindrances.  Sin 
3 


34 


Ei  'er lasting  Pu nish men t. 


tends  to  perpetuate  itself,  as  truly  as  does  holi¬ 
ness, —  because  it  has  in  it  the  element  of  moral 
activity ;  and  the  less  of  sin  there  is  in  any 
soul,  the  less  of  a  hold  that  soul  has  upon  ex¬ 
istence.  He  who  aspires  to  a  sure  immortality 
in  God,  has  only  (through  the  Christ-life  found) 
to  attain  high  moral  activity  in  the  service  of 
God.  And  if,  on  the  other  hand,  any  one 
longs  for  immortality  at  any  rate,  even  though 
in  woe,  he  has  only  to  contemn  Christ,  and 
plunge  into  the  depths  of  sin,  so  as  to  cultivate 
his  depraved  moral  activity  to  the  largest  extent. 
Everlastingness  of  conscious  destiny,  whether 
in  felicity  or  in  woe,  is  promoted  by  the  en¬ 
larged  capacity  of  a  soul  voluntarily  and  per¬ 
se' veringly  acting  for  or  against  Christ. 

Here  is  where  the  annihilation  theory  most 
signally  errs  from  the  truth  of  God.  It  makes 
a  prolonged  existence  hereafter  to  depend 
upon  the  moral  quality ,  the  good  character  of 
the  individual,  rather  than  his  moral  activity , 
thus  reducing  the  life  and  death  of  the  Bible 
to  mean  mere  existence  and  non- existence. 
From  which  it  must  follow,  that  the  less  of 
good  one  has,  and  the  more  of  evil  he  attains, 
the  sooner  must  he  be  blotted  out  of  being, 
contrary  to  all  principles  of  sense  and  justice. 
Whereas,  the  true  orthodox  doctrine  is,  that  all 


Everlasting  Punishment. 


35 


moral  action,  whether  good  or  bad,  enhances 
capacity  and  prolongs  conscious  being.  So 
that,  full  activity  of  soul  with  God’s  benedic¬ 
tion,  must  ripen  into  immortal  glory  ;  and  with 
God’s  malediction,  must  fester  in  everlasting 
woe ;  while  the  slight  moral  activity  of  an 
ignorant  or  undeveloped  soul  may  possibly  (if 
God  so  provides)  be  left  to  fade  out  in  the 
process  cf  everlasting  decay. 

And  has  God  provided  for  any  such  a  result 
in  his  constitution  of  things?  Yea,  verily. 
For  our  study  of  the  human  structure  has 
further  shown  us  that  close  prison-life  does 
offer  a  serious  hindrance  to  the  perpetuity  of 
the  activity ,  both  mental  and  moral,  and  (un¬ 
less  counterbalanced  by  the  reserving  power  of 
great  light  sinned  against)  does  tend  to  the 
unman-ing  of  faculty,  and  the  final  eclipse  of 
conscious  being.  So  that,  in  the  prison  of  hell, 
the  dark  and  solitary  realm  of  despair,  it  is 
possible  that  some  souls  may  reach  such  a  stage 
in  their  everlasting  decay,  that  conscious  ex¬ 
istence  will  be  clean  gone  from  them,  and 
thenceforward  it  will  be,  as  far  asdhey  are  con¬ 
cerned,  literally  nothing  but  the  bare  “  smoke 
of  torment  ascending  up  forever." 

In  that  case,  it  will  be  no  less  “  everlasting 
punishment.”  Nothing  will  be  annihilated; 


36  Everlasting  Punishment. 

no  consciousness  even  will  be  extinguished  by 
any  act  of  God  or  by  any  punishment  inflicted. 
But  the  rational  being  as  such ,  nevertheless, 
will  cease  by  the  very  limitations  of  its  con¬ 
stitutional  structure ;  its  tireless  activity  having 
less  and  less  to  feed  upon,  and  so  famishing 
into  eternal  torpor  and  insensibility, — not  con¬ 
sciously  existent,  but  only  existent  in  a  mere 
elemental  state. 

If  all  the  most  Calvinistic  Christians  in  the 
world  can  believe  (as  they  do)  that  each  of  us 
existed  in  Adam  as  to  essence  and  character, 
ages  before  our  conscious  existence  began,  may 
not  I  most  Calvinistically  believe,  that  each 
lost  soul  will  exist  forever  as  to  essence  and 
character,  in  the  everlasting  punishment  of 
sin,  ages  after  the  conscious  existence  of  some 
of  them  is  ended  ?  It  is  no  more  absurd  to 
think  of  wicked  men  as  finally  absorbed  in 
their  father  the  devil,  than  to  think  of  them  as 
originally  living  in  their  father  Adam. 

The  character  can  never  change;  but  the 
being  may  slowly  decay,  or  be  swallowed  up. 
And  this  must  go  on  the  more  rapidly,  accord¬ 
ing  as  the  activity  in  sin  has  been  more  feeble  ; 
for  thus,  by  a  less  exercise  of  the  moral  facul¬ 
ties,  the  soul’s  power  of  continuance  has  been 
less  efficiently  energized.  The  rational,  im- 


Everlasting  Punishment.  3  7 

pelling  power  of  conscience,  which  is  what 
makes  the  man  as  distinguished  from  a  brute, 
has  at  length  died  out,  as  we  see  foretokened 
in  the  hardening  victims  of  crime ;  while 
nevertheless  the  punishing  sting  of  conscience 
remains,  ever  a  full  faculty  crushing  the  whole 
dwindling  spirit,  as  we  see  from  the  continued 
or  re-awakened  remorse  of  the  profligate.  So 
that  our  present  view,  more  than  any  other 
orthodox  teaching,  enforces  the  impossibility 
of  any  restoration  for  a  ruined  soul. 

Mark  carefully,  that  the  punishment  itself 
cannot  produce  decay, —  that  the  greater  the 
punishment,  the  less  is  the  prospect  of  any 
such  relief.  For  the  degree  of  the  punishment 
must  be  proportioned  to  the  greatness  of  the 
moral  activity  in  the  being,  which  is  the  same 
as  the  greatness  of  his  sin;  and  that  depends 
in  large  measure  upon  the  amount  of  the  light 
and  knowledge  sinned  against.  Hence,  along 
with  its  greater  light,  the  New  Testament  had 
to  bring  in  its  greater  revelation  of  punish¬ 
ment.  Now,  since  this  moral  activity  of  sin¬ 
ning  is  the  very  ground  of  continued  conscious 
existence,  so  that  the  more  a  man  is  morally 
active,  i.  e.,  the  more  he  is  a  sinner,  the  longer 
his  conscious  existence  must  hold  out  against 
the  tendencies  to  decay,  it  follows  that  the 


3S  Everlasting  Punishment. 

everlasting  decay  or  any  result  from  it,  is  not 
the  punishment,  or  an  effect  produced  by  the 
punishment,  but  only  an  accompanying  cir¬ 
cumstance  or  incidental  result,  produced  by  the 
constitutional  limitations  of  the  soul,  which 
God  in  kindness  bestowed  upon  it  in  its  crea¬ 
tion. 

I  repeat,  then,  the  future  imprisonment  of 
lost  souls,  resulting  in  want  of  exercise  to 
faculty,  and  consequent  decay  of  being,  with 
loss  of  conscious  existence  in  such  cases  as 
God  pleases  —  all  this  is  not  the  everlasting 
punishment  threatened  against  sin  ;  this  is  not 
the  death-penalty  at  all ;  this  is  only  a  pitifuj 
appliance  of  Deity,  to  mitigate  at  his  good 
pleasure  the’inflnite  horrors  of  doom.  As  we 
elsewhere  proved  eternal  life  to  be,  not  bare 
existence,  but  eternal  union  with  God,  so  we 
unmistakably  proved  the  death-penalty  to  be, 
not  an  extinction,  but  an  eternal  disunion  or 
separation  from  God ;  and  the  kk  everlasting 
punishment  ”  is  wrath  inflicted  forever  in 
that  state  of  separation.  Nor  does  the  word 
destruction ,  or  the  like,  indicate  any  end  of  the 
being. 

All  this  matter  of  evil  inflicted ,  belongs  to 
the  just  judgment  of  God  against  ungodly 
men,  and  will  be  dealt  out  fairly  in  due  pro- 


Ei  'crl asting  Pu  nis/i  ment. 


39 


portion  to  the  deserts  of  each.  But  the  idea 
of  everlasting  decay  is  a  different  affair.  It  is 
not  an  evil  inflicted,  but  a  relief  afforded;  and 
therefore,  instead  of  being  the  punishment,  it 
is  only  a  merciful  attendant  of  it;  and  when 
called  a  result,  it  must  be  carefully  understood 
as  only  an  incidental  result,  coming  not  so 
much  from  the  punishment,  as  from  the  con¬ 
stitutional  nature  of  things.  Let  this  point  be 
most  scrupulously  guarded,  or  we  shall  fall 
into  the  grave  errors  of  annihilation  theorists. 

In  this  imposed  power  of  decay,  we  find  the 
very  point  where  the  pity  of  God  has  mingled 
itself  with  all  the  possibilities  of  His  universe. 
He  would  not  make  a  being  capable  of  falling 
into  sin,  and  yet  incapable  from  its  very  nature 
of  ever  being  made  to  cease  from  that  sin  and 
misery.  So  cruel  a  thing  the  God  of  infinite 
Justice,  and  Holiness,  and  Love,  could  ^ot  do. 
He  put  into  our  very  being  a  limitation,  or 
possibility  of  decay,  which,  unless  overruled 
by  Him,  would  in  time  run  out  of  existence 
all  the  sin  and  misery  in  the  universe.  He 
thus  has  control  of  it;  and,  if  He  pleased,  the 
final  triumph  of  redemption  might  be  such  an 
extermination  of  all  sorrow.  When  His  word 
positively  assures  us,  that  such  a  result  He  is  ■ 
not  intending, —  that  for  some  wise  reason,  in 


40  Everlasting  Punishment. 

certain  notable  cases  of  abominable  rebellion. 
He  is  going  to  overrule  the  universal  tendency 
to  decay,  and  to  permit  smoke  of  torment  to 
go  up  forever,  we  bow  with  submission  to  that 
mandate,  and  say,  “  Even  so,  Father,  for  so 
it  seemed  good  in  Thy  sight.” 

But  here  we  stop.  We  have  no  right  to  go 
one  step  beyond  His  certain  teaching,  in  an 
effort  to  extend  the  domain  of  everlasting  woe. 
The  pity  of  God,  which  he  wants  his  creatures 
to  borrow,  compels  us  to  confine  the  everlast¬ 
ingness  of  torment  to  the  very  smallest  limits 
that  His  declarations  demand.  These  do  re¬ 
quire  that  we  sorrowfully  and  submissively 
admit  the  fact,  not  only  concerning  “  the  devil 
and  his  angels,”  but  also  concerning  some 
gospel  blasphemers  among  men.  And  con¬ 
cerning  all  unbelievers  on  the  left  hand  of  the 
Judge,  we  must  admit  that  they  too  “  go  away 
into  ”  this  everlasting  punishment,  never  to  re¬ 
turn.  But  to  say  further,  that  every  one  going 
into  that  punishment  must  for  a  certainty  for¬ 
ever  consciously  exist  under  it,  is  saying  more 
than  we  know.  God  has  not  condescended  to 
inform  us  on  that  point;  and  we  do  well,  on 
such  a  serious  matter,  not  to  be  wise  above 
•  what  is  written. 


Everlasting  Punishment.  41 

It  is  possible  that,  in  the  everlasting  decay, 
the  conscious  being  of  the  lost  continues  to 
all  degrees  of  length,  from  the  long  forever  of 
the  guiltiest  reprobate,  to  the  comparatively 
short,  sad,  fading  consciousness  of  one  who 
sinned  but  little,  and  “  without  law.”  While 
yet  it  must  remain  sorrowfully  true,  that  every 
one  “  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned,”  and 
“  shall  go  away  into  everlasting  punishment,” 
to  stay  in  it  for  evermore.  I  say  it  is  possible , 
that  such  a  perpetual  diminution  in  the  num¬ 
ber  of  suffering  persons ,  as  well  as  in  the 
amount  of  their  conscious  agony ,  may  come  to 
pass.  I  go  further,  and  say,  it  is  not  only 
possible,  but  I  hope  it  is  to  be  so.  I  do  not 
know  that  it  will  be  so.  I  do  not  preach 
this  last  point  as  a  doctrine  that  must  be 
believed.  I  do  not  urge  it  upon  you  ;  and  for 
this  reason  simply,  because  I  have  not  for  it, 
as  for  other  points,  a  positive  “  thus  saith  the 
Lord.”  But  He  tells  me  nothing  to  the  con¬ 
trary,  and  therefore  I  have  a  right  to  hope. 
Yes,  and  I  can  even  say,  we  have  reason  to  be¬ 
lieve  this  view. 

For,  what  does  our  Saviour  assert?  (Luke 
xii.  47,  48.)  “  And  that  servant  which  knew 

his  Lord's  will ,  and  prepared  not  himself, 


42 


Ei 'e /lasting  Punishment. 

neither  did  according  to  his  will,  shall  be 
BEATEN  WITH  MANY  STRIPES.  But  he  that 
knew  not ,  and  did  commit  things  worthy  of 
stripes,  shall  be  beaten  with  few  stripes. 
For  unto  whomsoever  much  is  given,  of  him 
shall  much  be  required ;  and  to  whom  men 
have  committed  much,  of  him  will  they  ask 
the  more.”  If  men  act  upon  these  principles 
of  honor  and-  equity,  how  much  more  will  the 
God  of  infinite  Justice,  Truth,  and  Love  deal 
with  His  creatures  in  this  method  of  fair  dis¬ 
crimination.  It  seems  to  me  that  Christ  here 
meant  to  give  the  divine  law  of  eternal  retri¬ 
bution,  and  to  teach  a  difference  in  the  dura¬ 
tion  of  stripes  under  the  everlasting  judgment 
of  God.  I  know  that  most  people  regard  this 
as  only  showing  a  difference  of  degree  ;  but  as 
the  inflicting  of  few  stripes  always  takes  less 
time  than  the  inflicting  of  many,  the  Saviour’s 
language  may  most  literally,  as  well  as  fitly, 
be  understood  as  teaching  also  a  difference  of 
duration —  an  important  element  in  the  matter 
of  degree.  And  though  I  do  not  press  this  as 
explicit  assertion  of  my  doctrine,  I  yet  do  feel 
by  it  authorized  to  say,  there  is  good  reason  to 
believe  this  view. 

The  different  views  of  everlasting  punish¬ 
ment  go  thus : 


Everlasting  Punishment.  45 

I.  Universalist.  Punishment  temporary, 
(resulting  in  everlasting  happiness.) 

II.  Annihilation.  Punishment  everlasting  in 
its  evil  results. 

III.  Orthodox.  Punishment  everlasting  in 
itself — i.e .,  in  its  operation  upon  its 
victims,  even  every  one  of  them  ;  but 
either  — 

(1)  Resulting  in  everlasting  decay ,  with 
final  loss  of  conscious  existence  (i.e.T 
with  u  few  stripes  ”)  to  such  as. 
“  knew  not  their  Lord’s  will.”  Or, 

(2)  Resulting  in  everlasting  growth ,  or 
progress  of  every  individual  in  sin 
and  sorrow  forever. 

The  annihilation  view  of  future  punish¬ 
ment,  as  truly  as  the  universalist  view,  we  re¬ 
ject  and  oppose.  The  orthodox  view  we* 
heartily  endorse,  but  in  the  first,  not  the 
second  aspect  of  its  results.  Of  this  one* 
thing  at  least  we  feel  confident ,  that  the 
CONSCIOUS  AGONY  WILL  NOT  BE  ETERNAL 
TO  ANY  LOST  SOUL  THAT  NEVER  KNEW  OR 

rejected  Christ. 

And  here  we  rest.  For  what  follows?  Sin 
and  Satan  now  seem  to  reign,  and  for  a  season 
rebellion  is  allowed  to  grow,  while  godliness 
seems  as  if  beaten  in  the  strife.  But  it  will 


44 


Everlasting  Pu irishmen  t. 


not  always  be  so.  Things  will  come  to  their 
■crisis  in  the  Great  Day  of  the  Lord.  Christ 
will  take  unto  Himself  the  government,  and 
the  saints  shall  for  ever  expand  in  the  expand¬ 
ing  kingdom,  while  gospel  rejectors  shall  fade 
away  in  the  fading  domain  of  darkness  and  of 
sin.  Jehovah  shall  reign  triumphant,  and  all 
“  the  works  of  the  devil  shall  be  destroyed." 
Even  so,  Lord  Jesus,  hasten  it  in  its  day. 
May  I,  and  may  you,  escape  the  “  everlasting 
punishment  ”  of  the  wicked,  which  must  be 
bitter  enough  at  the  best.  And  may  we  all 
by  faith  attain- unto  the  unspeakable  glories  of 
eternal  life. 

In  that  blest  morning  of  jubilee,  we  will  join 
the  glad  chorus,  when  “  they  sing  the  song 
of  Moses,  the  servant  of  God,  and  the  song  of 
the  Lamb,  saying,  Great  and  marvelous  are 
thy  works,  Lord  God  Almighty ;  just  and 
true  are  thy  ways,  thou  king  of  saints." 
(ReY.  xv.  3.) 


Ei 'crl listing  Pit  n ishmen t . 

o 


45 


NOTE. 


1.  If  any  one  is  tempted  to  think  that  the 
view  here  given  amounts  to  little,  as  to  any 
practical  results  differing  from  those  commonly 
held,  let  him  consider:  (i)  How  all  ordinary 
teachings  leave  the  untold  millions  of  untaught 
paganism,  and  of  sinning  unrepenting  youth, 
to  an  eternity  of  growing  torment,  as  lasting 
as  that  of  the  gospel-hardened  Judas;  infer¬ 
ring  (2)  that  every  one  of  them,  if  dying  soon 
enough ,  would  reach  an  eternity  of  blessedness 
instead ;  so  that  every  child’s  first  little  act  of 
sin  is  a  fall  from  an  infinite  of  joy  to  an  infinite 
of  woe  ;  and  the  sparing  of  its  life  long  enough 
to  reach  that  inevitable  fall,  must  be  an  act  of 
most  terrible  cruelty  on  the  part  of  God  and 
of  its  friends ;  so  that  pagan  infanticide  must 
be  the  most  blessed  institution  of  the  world  ! 
'These  horrible  deductions  of  the  common 

.faith  are  all  destroyed  by  the  view  here  pre¬ 
sented. 

2.  If  any  one  is  tempted  to  think  that  the 
view  here  given  amounts  to  the  same  as  the 


4  6 


Ei 'er lasting  Pu nish men t. 

annihilation  doctrine,  (now  commonly  taught 
by  “Adventists,”)  let  him  consider:  (i)  How 
that  teaches,  that  there  is  no  eternal  hell,  no 
everlasting  suffering  of  anybody,  even  the 
devil,  or  Judas,  or  the  most  wilful  contemner 
of  Christ;  and  (2)  teaches,  that  the  end  of 
misery  to  beings  will  come  by  a  destroying 
act  of  God  as  the  punishment  of  their  sins ; 
whereby  all  moral  distinctions  are  confounded, 
and  all  scripture  teachings  overthrown.  These 
falsities  and  absurdities  of  Advent-nihilism 
are  here  escaped. 

3.  If  any  one  wishes  to  remember  clearly 
the  point  of  this  discourse,  without  confound¬ 
ing  it  with  any  erroneous  ism ,  let  him  simply 
bear  in  mind  :  (1)  That  God  has  implanted  in 
the  soul  a  principle  of  decay ,  under  confine¬ 
ment  or  lack  of  sufficient  moral  exercise ; 
and  (2),  that  God  has  implanted  a  counter¬ 
principle  of  resistance  to  decay ,  arising  from 
great  light  once  enjoyed,  and  great  opportuni¬ 
ties  once  abused.  Under  the  first  principle, 
small  sinners  with  “few  stripes,”  may  soon 
fade  into  unconsciousness ;  under  the  second 
principle,  great  sinners  wilfully  scorning  the 
gospel,  though  forever  in  decay,  must  unend¬ 
ingly  retain  some  consciousness  of  misery  in 


Everlasting  Punishment.  47 

that  “everlasting  punishment”  into  which 
they  all  go  away. 

4.  If  any  one  wishes  to  see  the  present  view 
in  contrast  with  others,  let  him  observe  that 
all  other  views  make  but  one  alternative  to 
eternal  life ;  namely,  either  everlasting  misery, 
or  instant  extinction.  But  this  our  view  puts, 
between  endless  life  for  the  saved  and  endless 
misery  for  the  reprobate,  a  tertium  quid ,  an 
intermediate  alternative  of  limited  evil  for 
those  less  steeped  in  sin.  It  is  true  of  us 
adult  gospel  hearers,  “  we  all  belong  to  one  of 
two  classes  —  we  are  all  the  friends  or  enemies 
of  Christ.”  But,  speaking  of  all  mankind,  we 
can  only  say,  “  each  person  belongs  to  one  of 
three  classes — being  either  a  friend,  or  an 
enemy  of  Christ,  or  a  sinner  unreached  by 
gospel  light.” 

5.  A  treatise  is  in  course  of  preparation, 
showing  the  relation  of  this  view  to  other  doc¬ 
trines  of  the  gospel,  in  the  light  of  reason  and 
the  word  of  God.  A  key  may  here  be  found 
to  unlock  many  of  the  mysteries  of  theology. 


EXTRACT. 


“  We  are  inclined  to  believe,  that  the  very 
law  of  dependent  natures,  which,  apart  from 
the  constant  energy  of  the  divine  will,  would 
reduce  them  to  nothing,  actually  operates  so 
far  as  to  produce  a  sort  of  intellectual  gravi¬ 
tation  of  all  rational  beings,  toward  the  lower 
ranks  of  existence.  So,  while  there  are  im¬ 
pulses  bearing  us  upward  and  onward ;  there 
is  also  a  uniform  tendency  downward,  or 
toward  that  nihility  out  of  which  we  sprang.’ 
kk  It  is  not  to  be  admitted,  that  God  has  made 
anything  which,  once  existing,  exists  like  him¬ 
self,  necessarily  and  eternally.”  kk  The  belief 
of  the  survivance  of  the  living  principle,  the 
author  would  derive  from 'moral  and  religious 
considerations,  and  from  explicit  divine  testi- 
mong.  As  to  the  pretended  demonstration  of 
immortality  drawn  from  the  assumed  sim¬ 
plicity  and  indestructibility  of  the  soul,  as  an 
immaterial  substance,  they  appear  either  alto¬ 
gether  inconclusive,  or  if  conclusive  prove 
immensely  more  than  we  can  desire — the 
immortality  of  birds,  beasts,  and  fishes,  insects 
and  zoophytes!  ” — Physical  Theory  of  Another 
Life .  London,  1863.  pp.  227,  270,  279,  254,  315. 


